The replacement or repair of diseased vessels with natural synthetic vascular grafts is one treatment for certain types of intravascular disease. For coronary bypass surgery, the autologous saphenous vein remains the graft of choice for its non-thrombogenic flow surface, ability to be healed by the host as well as its strength and elasticity. Efforts to create a suitable synthetic small diameter vascular graft have been largely unsuccessful.
Likewise, man-made medical devices have been used to replace heart valves and repair other intravascular complications. These devices are typically made from metals (stainless steel, nickel titanium alloys, carbon, fiber) and fabric (PTFE, Dacron, carbon fiber) that are foreign to the body. The use of them requires special blood thinning medication that can lead to further health complications. Additionally, the devices are fixed form and do not conform to the body as the patient grows from childhood to adulthood thus necessitating multiple surgeries.
There are some areas (i.e., venous valves) where medical device designs offer low patency and the only means of repair is through reconstructive surgery or transplantation.
Researchers have sought to develop living alternatives to the traditional “man-made” medical devices. These tissue engineered medical products (TEMPs) use the patients own cells to create a replacement device that can be nurtured and grown once they are implanted. Through design, specification, and fabrication of cells, biomaterials, or biomolecules, it is hoped that TEMPs will play a major role in future heart valve replacement, cardiovascular bypass surgery, venous valve repair and other intravascular surgeries.
There is a need in the art for method and apparatus for growing and conditioning tissue engineered intravascular medical products.